Matildas fuming after FFA rejects paid maternity leave proposal

Pregnant elite footballers will risk having their contracts annulled and mothers will have to pay to have their babies by their side during national team camps after Football Federation of Australia rejected a proposal to introduce the Matildas' first paid maternity policy.

Fairfax Media can reveal the industrial dispute the Matildas and the Professional Footballers Association are having with the FFA soured even further after the governing body knocked back a proposal to continue paying pregnant contracted players as well as covering travel and accommodation costs for babies and carers.

Upon the request of players, the PFA put forward a case to bring the FFA parental management policy in line with sports such as netball, which offers paid assistance for mothers and expectant mothers at the elite levels of the game.

Not happy: Australian defender Laura Alleway has slammed the FFA's lack of support.Credit:Eddie Jim

Amid the stand-off between the FFA and PFA are two issues concerning paid maternal assistance:

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ensuring contracted players who fall pregnant continue to be paid for the duration of their deal;

ensuring travel costs and arrangements of babies and one carer provided by the federation for contracted Matildas.

However, both notions were rejected by the governing body which stood by its existing maternal policy implemented last December, citing affordability as the reason to deny players paid parental assistance. The policy allows for players to bring carers and young children with them while on tour, travel with the players on flights but not be part of the team delegation and stay in FFA team accommodation. All travel for the carer and child is at the cost of the players, who earn a base salary of $21,000 per annum.

Section eight of the FFA policy reads: "The National Team Member and/or Support Person is responsible for making all arrangements (travel and accommodation) and for all costs associated with the Support Person and child during an Assembly... FFA will not provide financial assistance to the National Team Member in this regard."

The latest revelation is another blow to the fractured relationship between the Matildas and the FFA following the players' decision to strike this week, boycotting a two-game series against World Champions USA. Defender Laura Alleway slammed the FFA's lack of support and assistance to mothers, labelling it an "unfair" policy.

Alleway has aspirations to become a mother but the 25-year-old fears she will be forced to look into an early retirement, unable to afford to play elite football while caring for a young child. "It wouldn't be possible, It would come out of my own pocket to bring them along with me, pay for a nanny. They [the FFA] say it's not doable but you see around the world with the American teams where they do provide for the players to bring thier children along on tour with them," she said.

The FFA described the PFA's proposal regarding travel arrangements as luxurious. "FFA's parental policy gives players flexibility to take a child and carer on tour and provides for sensible access that protects the team environment and match preparation," said an FFA spokesperson.

"Childcare is an employee's responsibility, it's not for an employer to fund. That's standard in working conditions across the economy," an FFA spokesman said. The PFA's claims for the Matildas to have business class travel and five-star hotels are unaffordable. The PFA knows this. Making more unaffordable claims for business class travel and five-star hotels for carers are simply not credible."

Alleway disputed these claims and said players would welcome any financial assistance provided by the FFA to pregnant players or new mothers. "I think any support at this stage will be more than welcome if they could afford any flights, a nanny or even help just cover some costs. But the fact is there's nothing in place so any step in that direction will be a good one," Alleway said.